Kit's Coty House and Little Kit's Coty House
Dolmen tombs near Aylesford, Kent
Visited May 2017
Both of these Neolithic burial tombs are found in farmland a few miles out of Aylesford in Kent. Kit's Coty can only be reached on foot, as it's in a field beside a footpath. While Little Kit's Coty is beside a road, there's no parking nearby (or indeed footpath beside the road!).
Both of these monuments are in the care of English Heritage, but entirely free to visit. A circular walk from the lovely town of Aylesford takes you past both of these, as well as through the surrounding countryside, via the North Downs Way and Pilgrim's Way. The monuments both date from the Neolithic period, circa 6000 years ago, and are all that remain of two dolmen tombs used for communal burials. They would originally have been under mounds of earth, as part of long barrows (such as West Kennet in Wiltshire); there's more information about their history on the English Heritage website.
Kit's Coty House consists of three uprights and a capstone, all behind railings. Little Kit's Coty House, also known as the Countless Stones, is a jumbled mass of sarsen stones which you can walk among, separated from the road by a path, hedge and railings. When I visited on a bank holiday Monday there was no-one else around at either site. Little Kit's Coty House in particular was very atmospheric.
Both of these monuments are in the care of English Heritage, but entirely free to visit. A circular walk from the lovely town of Aylesford takes you past both of these, as well as through the surrounding countryside, via the North Downs Way and Pilgrim's Way. The monuments both date from the Neolithic period, circa 6000 years ago, and are all that remain of two dolmen tombs used for communal burials. They would originally have been under mounds of earth, as part of long barrows (such as West Kennet in Wiltshire); there's more information about their history on the English Heritage website.
Kit's Coty House consists of three uprights and a capstone, all behind railings. Little Kit's Coty House, also known as the Countless Stones, is a jumbled mass of sarsen stones which you can walk among, separated from the road by a path, hedge and railings. When I visited on a bank holiday Monday there was no-one else around at either site. Little Kit's Coty House in particular was very atmospheric.
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